"The central doctrine of Christianity, then, is not that God is a bastard. It is, in the words of the late Dominican theologian Herbert McCabe, that if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you."--Terry Eagleton

"It is impossible for me to say in my book one word about all that music has meant in my life. How then can I hope to be understood?--Ludwig Wittgenstein

“The opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice."--Bryan Stevenson

Sara Huckabee Sanders and her father perhaps deserve the benefit of non-judgment. But I say that for myself, not for others. Ms. Sanders was asked, politely, to leave a restaurant because of her position as the President's mouthpiece, not just because of the President's stand on immigration (and his abominable "policy" which is a fine example of government chaos. Where are the children? Where are their parents? God knows, but the U.S. government doesn't.). Neither she nor her father have stood outside of judgment against others, so they stand under judgment of others.

Shame is returning, and being used against those who tried to employ it in the first place. It's an interesting counterpoint to the argument that "we" don't care about "those kids" since they aren't "our kids." I don't think we're nearly that parochial, actually. Oddly enough I was watching "Iron Man" the other day, the movie that started the MCU 10 years ago now. In one scene Iron Man returns to the scene of his capture and defeats a gang of thugs who are threatening a village of unarmed men, and women and children, in some fictitious portion of the "Middle East." Fathers and mothers, families, in other words, and our sympathies are clearly with the children. Men can beat up other men and we think them merely bullies or villains; but threaten the children, and the wrath of God is all you are fit for. Iron Man delivers that wrath, then leaves the last bully to the tender mercies of the now emboldened villagers, we having seen him rescue the children. Had he failed to do so, would we have said "Eh, not our kids. They don't even look like us."

No, of course not. We heartily approve because, well: children. Interesting the reaction this administration is provoking in people who don't make their living spouting opinions on TeeVee or even on the intertoobs (I don't make a living at this at all, but might as well include myself). I've not seen such opprobrium, such condemnation, such public (and private; the owner of the Red Hen did Ms. Sanders the courtesy of a private conversation) rejection, before. Protests, yes. But the crowds Trump works into a froth are just that; froth.

This is the real thing. This runs much deeper than just a chance to scream in unison in a closed room. It may not yet have run its course.